Pomfret School

School in Pomfret, Connecticut, United States

Pomfret School

Address

398 Pomfret Street

Pomfret

Connecticut

06258

United States

Coordinates| 41°53′10″N 71°57′54″W﻿ / ﻿41.8862°N 71.9651°W﻿ / 41.8862; -71.9651
Information
Type| Private, Coeducational, Secondary, Boarding
Motto| Certa Viriliter
(Strive Valiantly)
Established| 1894 (130 years ago) (1894)
Founder| William E. Peck
CEEB code| 070615
Chairman| Justin P. Klein
Head of school| J. Timothy Richards
Grades| 9–12, postgraduate
Enrollment| 350[1]
Campus type| Rural
Student Union/Association| Olmsted Student Union Pomfret Alumni Association
Color(s)| Red and black

Athletics| 42 interscholastic teams
Mascot| Griffin
Newspaper| Pontefract
Website| www.pomfret.org

Pomfret School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory boarding and day school in Pomfret, Connecticut, United States, serving 350 students in grades 9 through 12 and post-graduates. Located in the Pomfret Street Historic District, the average class size is 12 students with a student–teacher ratio of 6:1. Over 80% of faculty hold master's degrees or doctorates. Typically, 40% of students receive financial aid or support from over 60 endowed scholarship funds, 20% are students of color, 21% are international students.[1]

The school opened on October 3, 1894,[2][3] founded by William E. Peck and his wife Harriet.[3]

## Historical background

[edit]

Architectural rendering and facilities plan of Pomfret School c. 1906 Construction of the George Newhall Clark '04 Memorial Chapel at Pomfret School c. 1908

In the first decade of the 1900s, Pomfret was transformed from mainly Colonial Revival buildings to a "planned institution."[4] By 1906, architect Ernest Flagg had designed a master plan for the school.[4] The pavilion arrangement reflected the influence of Thomas Jefferson's design for the University of Virginia.

For the chapel, commissioned by Edward Clark in 1907, Flagg chose Norman architecture as an appropriate model and emulated the rich textures of the unpolished stone-work characteristic of that style.[5]

Following a visit to the campus in 1910, when construction was nearing completion, Flagg compared Pomfret to his design of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, remarking, "The school is better architecturally than Annapolis." While his design for Annapolis had been repeatedly altered by the Navy during construction, the work at Pomfret scrupulously followed his design.[6] Flagg hoped that his work for Pomfret would set a trend and lead to a "national style of architecture."[6]

The Pomfret's coat of arms was designed by Harriet Peck Jones, wife of founder and first Headmaster William E. Peck. She had contacted members of the Fermor family, holders of the earldom of Pomfret in England. They expressed an interest in the new school, and hoped the school's coat of arms would be that of their family: Argent, a fess sable (black) between three lions' heads erased gules (red).[7]

Adam Hochschild, who attended Pomfret in the 1950s, described it in 1982 as one of about twenty select American schools, all built around 1900 or before, which were until the 1960s "upper-class single-sex boarding schools". He added that it was, at the time, "basically a school for the rich."[8]

Hochschild's perspective may have been accurate in the 1950s, but the school has gradually attracted a significantly more diverse student body. In the 2023-24 school year, for example, Pomfret awarded $5 million in financial aid to 37% of the student body. [9]

## Campus

[edit]

The 500 acre campus, established in 1894, was designed by landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted,[10] and expanded over the years to its current size through gifts and acquisitions. The facility's master plan was designed in 1906 by American architect Ernest Flagg.[11]

## Notable buildings

[edit]

A number of Pomfret's buildings and houses are listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).[12][13]

Holiday Carols in Clark Chapel The 13th century rose window from St. Julien Cathedral, France, Clark Memorial Chapel

### Memorial Chapel

[edit]

Dedicated on St. George's Day, 1908, and consecrated on May 16, 1909,[14] the chapel was designed by Ernest Flagg[15] and houses three extraordinary stained glass windows from 13th century France.[16][17][18]

The ten-foot-high rose window above the chapel doorway and two of the arched-top, oblong windows along the walls are apparently from the 13th century cathedral, Saint Julien of Tours, on the Loire river in France. The ancient windows were donated to Pomfret in 1947. They are recorded as having been imported to the U.S. in 1904; they were auctioned in New York to an anonymous bidder and installed in Clark Chapel in 1949.[16][17]

### du Pont Library

[edit]

It was designed by Cambridge Seven Associates, finished in 1969, and won many awards.

### Jahn Ice Hockey Rink

[edit]

In 2005, Brown Rink, the original name of the rink, underwent a major renovation and was renamed Jahn Rink after Helmut Jahn, the architect who helped design it. Jahn's son had attended Pomfret.[19][20]

### Parsons Lodge

[edit]

It won the 2010 AIA Connecticut People's Choice Award for “the building in which people would most like to study”; 2009 Best Fireplace Award from Masonry Construction magazine.[21]

## Athletics

[edit]

Pomfret Crew Regatta 2011

A member of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC),[22] Pomfret fields 42 teams in 15 different sports[23] and has won numerous championships during its history in both men's and women's sports.[24] Recently, Girls Varsity Volleyball won the 2015 NESPAC Class B Championship.[25] Boys Varsity Hockey won the 2017 NEPSAC Small School Championship.[26]

## Arts

[edit]

Pomfret's arts programs are guided by practicing artists and offer formal classes and other opportunities for training and participation in drawing, painting, digital arts, film and video, sculpture and ceramics, photography, music, theatre, and dance. Performance opportunities are available to all students in theater, dance, and music throughout the year. Facilities include sculpture, ceramics, painting, and drawing studios; rehearsal and practice rooms for dance and music; the Schoppe Dance Studio; Hard Auditorium stage; and a photography laboratory.

The Pomfret Grifftones and Chorus tour within the United States and overseas for concerts; in 2015 they were in Italy where they performed in Florence, Lucca, and St. Stephen's School in Rome, and in the United States at the University of Connecticut (all March 2015).[27]

## Crisis in the 1960s and 1970s

[edit]

Pomfret went through a crisis in the 1960s and 70s, making "desperate fundraising appeals" necessary. Pomfret alumnus Adam Hochschild claimed that since "Pomfret had never been quite in the top rank of New England boarding schools," the economic crisis was even more dire for them. One year, the entering class did not reach the expected (small) number of students. Teachers were compelled to take ten-percent less in pay. Some started planning for the school's closing. In a men's toilet on campus, someone scrawled on the wall over the toilet paper dispenser: “Pomfret diplomas. Take one.”[8]

## Sexual misconduct allegations

[edit]

In 2016, an independent investigation found that four teachers had "likely engaged in sexual misconduct" between the 1970s and 2000s.[28][29] A letter sent out from the school to the community said that the investigation "found four teachers 'more likely than not' engaged in sexual misconduct", and there were "nine other 'credible reports' that teachers engaged in inappropriate behavior", but concluded there was "insufficient information".[29][30] An investigation conducted by the Connecticut State Police into the allegations was closed with no criminal charges being filed.[31][32]

## Notable alumni

[edit]

Edward Stettinius Ridley Pearson Sarah Vaillancourt

* Philip Ainsworth Means, anthropologist and author[33]
* Herbert Claiborne Pell Jr. 1902, member of Congress (D-NY) and U.S. Minister to Hungary & Portugal[34][35]
* Arthur Purdy Stout 1903, surgeon and pathologist[36]
* Edward Streeter 1910, author and banker[37]
* Frederic W. Lincoln IV 1917, Board of Trustees of the New York Medical College[38]
* Edward Stettinius Jr. 1920, U.S. Secretary of State[39]
* William F. Draper 1931, painter[40]
* Thibaut de Saint Phalle 1935, banker[41]
* Roger Angell 1938, writer and New Yorker editor[42]
* Robert Vickrey 1944, writer and painter[43]
* Robert B. Fiske 1948, United States Attorney and Whitewater Special Prosecutor[44]
* William P. Carey 1948, philanthropist and businessman[45]
* Jon Stone 1948, producer of Sesame Street and author[46]
* Theodore R. Sizer 1949, educator[47]
* Peter Beard 1956, photographer and author[48]
* Orville Hickock Schell III 1958, journalist[49]
* Adam Hochschild 1960, editor and author[50]
* Joe Boyd 1960, record producer and author[51]
* Jack Hardy 1965, singer-songwriter [52]
* James Rothman 1967, biochemist and Nobel Prize winner [31]
* Eric D. Coleman 1969, State Senator[53]
* Alex Gibney 1971, film director, writer, and producer[54]
* Ridley Pearson 1971, author[55]
* Lorenzo Borghese 1991, actor[30]
* Spencer Bailey 2004, writer and editor[56]
* Sarah Vaillancourt 2004, hockey player and Olympic gold medal winner [57]
* Brian Flynn 2007, professional hockey player [58]
* Felice Mueller, 2008, Olympic rower [59]
* Chelsea Cutler 2015, singer, songwriter, and producer [60]

## Notable faculty

[edit]

* Pat Boyd, (D-50) Connecticut State Representative 2017–Present, current history teacher & Assistant Dean of Students[61]
* Michael K. Farr, English teacher, award-winning author, CNBC contributor; founder, president, and CEO of Farr, Miller & Washington, an investment advisory firm
* Horace Seely-Brown Jr., (R-CT) Science teacher, Member of Congress for Connecticut's 2nd congressional district.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Boarding School Review". Boarding School Review. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
2. ^ Private Independent Schools. Bunting and Lyon. 1980. p. 119.
3. ^ a b Pearson, Brad (1993). Stone, Emerson (ed.). The Spirit That Is Pomfret (First ed.). Kashino Design Enterprises. pp. 3–5.
4. ^ a b Bacon, Mardges (1986). Ernest Flagg: beaux-arts architect and urban reformer. New York: Architectural History Foundation. p. 135. ISBN 0262022222.
5. ^ Bacon, Mardges (1986). Ernest Flagg: beaux-arts architect and urban reformer. New York: Architectural History Foundation. pp. 136–137. ISBN 0262022222.
6. ^ a b Bacon, Mardges (1986). Ernest Flagg: beaux-arts architect and urban reformer. New York: Architectural History Foundation. p. 137. ISBN 0262022222.
7. ^ Pearson, Brad (1993). Stone, Emerson (ed.). The Spirit That Is Pomfret (first ed.). Kashino Design Enterprise, Inc. p. 3.
8. ^ a b Hochschild, Adam (May 1982). "True Prep". Mother Jones: 41–48.
9. ^ [1]
10. ^ "Tom Irwin". tomirwin.com. Tom Irwin, Inc. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
11. ^ Bacon, Mardges (1986). Ernest Flagg: beaux-arts architect and urban reformer (!st ed.). MIT Press. pp. 134–137. ISBN 978-0262022224.
12. ^ "Pomfret Street Historic District". focus.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/98000372.pdf. National Park Services. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
13. ^ "Pomfret Street Historic District". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Services. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
14. ^ "Messrs. Czelusniak et Dugal". czelusniakdugal.com. Messrs. Czelusniak et Dugal, Inc. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
15. ^ "Philadelphia Architects and Buildings". Philadelphiabuildings.org. The Athenaeum of Philadelphia. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
16. ^ a b Geissinger, Anne (December 14, 1985). "Chapel Windows Causing Stir To Stained Glass Experts". Vol. 1, no. 43\. Observer Extra.
17. ^ a b "Chapel Windows Causing Stir To Stained Glass Experts". Hartford Courant. June 26, 1983.
18. ^ "The Pomfret School George Newhall Clark Memorial Chapel Pomfret, Connecticut". czelusniakdugal.com. Messrs. Czelusniak et Dugal, Inc. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
19. ^ "Doug, I did this for you". Hartford Courant. January 9, 2005.
20. ^ Klebeck, J. (February 7, 2022). "All Hail the Restomodded Rink!". Centerbrook Architects.
21. ^ "Parsons Lodge". newenglanddesign.com. New England Design, Inc. Archived from the original on February 14, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
22. ^ "New England Preparatory Schools Athletic Council". nepsac.org. RS SchoolToday.com. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
23. ^ "Boarding School Review". boardingschoolreview.com. Boarding School Review, LLC.
24. ^ Pearson, Brad (1993). Stone, Emerson (ed.). The Spirit That Is Pomfret (first ed.). Kashino Design Enterprises, Inc. pp. 221, 276, 285, 292, 300–302, 313.
25. ^ "MaxPreps". maxpreps.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
26. ^ "MaxPreps". www.maxpreps.com. CBS Broadcasting, Inc. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
27. ^ Sophia, Clarke. "Clarke Productions". singinginitaly.weebly.com. Weebly. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
28. ^ "Boarding school teacher fired over student relationship". Boston.com. Associated Press. January 30, 2018.
29. ^ a b "Another elite boarding school finds sex abuse in its past". CBS News. September 27, 2016.
30. ^ a b Smith, Michelle R. (September 27, 2016). "Pomfret School reveals sex abuse by teachers". The Providence Journal. Associated Press.
31. ^ a b "State Police close investigation of Pomfret School sexual abuse". Fox 61. Associated Press. April 19, 2017.
32. ^ Melia, Michael (April 19, 2017). "State Police Close Investigation of Pomfret School Sex Abuse". NBC Connecticut.
33. ^ "Obituaries: Philip Ainsworth Means" (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. April 1945. p. 35.
34. ^ Blayney, MIchael S. (1986). Democracy's Aristocrat: Life of Herbert C. Pell. University Press of America. ISBN 0-8191-5193-9.
35. ^ "Pell, Herbert Claiborne, Jr". bioguide.congress.gov. U.S. Congress. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
36. ^ "Arthur Purdy Stout, M.D. 1885–1967". Radiology. 91 (2): 394. August 1968. doi:10.1148/91.2.394.
37. ^ Gale, Steven H. (April 14, 2016). Encyclopedia of American Humorists. Routledge. p. 414\. ISBN 978-1-317-36227-2.
38. ^ "Frederic W. Lincoln, 69, Dies; Headed Medical College Board". The New York Times. April 8, 1968. p. 47\. ProQuest 118183039.
39. ^ "U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
40. ^ "William Franklin Draper". Naval History and Heritage Command.
41. ^ Affairs, United States Congress Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban (1977). Nomination of Thibaut de Saint Phalle: Hearing Before the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-fifth Congress, First Session ... Nov. 28, 1977. U.S. Government Printing Office.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
42. ^ Kaufman, Ira (May 20, 2022). "Roger Angell, Revered Baseball Essayist, Dies at 101". The Hollywood Reporter.
43. ^ Grimes, William (April 20, 2011). "Robert Vickrey, Painter of Magic Realism School, Dies at 84". The New York Times.
44. ^ "PAST recipients of the alumni association awards" (PDF).
45. ^ Arnold, Laurence (January 3, 2012). "William Carey, Investor Who Backed Business Schools, Dies at 81". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
46. ^ Gelder, Lawrence Van (April 1, 1997). "Jon Stone, Who Helped Create 'Sesame Street,' Is Dead at 65". The New York times.
47. ^ "Theodore R. Sizer" (PDF). Columbia University. p. 117.
48. ^ Stowe, Stacey (September 24, 2020). "The Legend of Peter Beard". Vanity Fair.
49. ^ Leslie, Jacques (October 15, 1989). "The Re-education of a China Watcher : Once an Idealist Who Idolized Maoism, Author Orville Schell Now Champions China's Dissidents". Los Angeles Times.
50. ^ Arana, Marie (December 19, 1999). "Adam Hochschild". Washington Post.
51. ^ "Joe Boyd". Folk New England.
52. ^ "Jack Hardy Obituary" (PDF). Maverick. May 2011. p. 28.
53. ^ "Former CT senator and judge Eric Coleman now wants to be Hartford mayor". Hartford Courant. September 5, 2023.
54. ^ "Anne M. DeBevoise Married". The New York Times. August 15, 1982.
55. ^ "Professors of the Practice". Boise State University.
56. ^ "Spencer Bailey Reflects on the Crash-Landing of United Airlines Flight 232". Time Sensitive.
57. ^ Savarese, Katherine M. (February 22, 2010). "Sarah Vaillancourt '08-'09: Canadian Ice Hockey Olympics Gold Medalist". The Harvard Crimson.
58. ^ "Brian Flynn - Men's Ice Hockey". University of Maine Athletics. "Captain as a senior at the Pomfret School where he scored 60 goals and added 52 assists for 112 points in two seasons"
59. ^ [2]
60. ^ [3]
61. ^ "Biography | Connecticut House Democrats". housedems.ct.gov. Archived from the original on April 23, 2017.

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[edit]

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